Water, Land and People - Goulburn Broken Catchment ...

ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
38
Practice Change Research
Written by Fiona Johnson, Helen Murdoch and Brigette
Keeble, Department of Primary Industries
The Practice Change Research group has undertaken an
extensive research program over the past eight years
with the GB CMA and Shepparton Irrigation Region
Implementation Committee. The focus of this program
is to provide research approaches that support the GB
CMA and their partners to implement irrigation policy
outcomes. We have developed many approaches including
the Policy Choice Framework – to support policy
instrument selection, understanding landholder responses
to intervention (both adoption & compliance) and the
organisational implications of policy outcomes.
The Practice Change Research role is threefold:
1. To undertake research projects to inform priority
irrigation issues;
2. To provide technical expertise and advice to
regional partners on priorities for the state and
regional irrigation programs; and
3. To develop research approaches of world standing
that support our stakeholders to decide how best
they will achieve the practice change required for
irrigation policy.
Irrigation system modernisation continued to be a
priority in 2008-2009 for Practice Change Research.
Researchers continued to apply learnings from previous
projects, supporting the GB CMA and partners to
develop policy responses and policy instruments that
account for the landholder, organisational and technical
implications proposed modernisation changes create. The
achievements of these three focus areas are reported on
in detail.
Policy Choice Framework
In 2008, the GB CMA and the Sustainable Irrigation
Program of the Department of Sustainability and
Environment engaged Practice Change Research to apply
the Policy Choice Framework to the Northern Victoria
Irrigation Renewal Project to:
1. Reveal critical landholder and organisational
issues that may influence the package of policy
interventions aimed at supporting and driving
decision-making around modernising the irrigation
infrastructure;
2. Outline the implications for the GB CMA
programs and targets.
The research found that the critical landholder issues
were related to landholders whose properties were not
located adjacent to the backbone. The target for these
landholders was unlikely to be met without a package of
policy interventions to ensure that enough landholders
will receive a benefit from changing to the modified
connection and the cost of changing is low enough so
that they adopt within the five year timeframe. The
package could include a range of connection options to
generate benefits and financial payments and decision
support service to reduce the costs.
The research found that the critical organisational
issues were related to addressing the changes that the
organisations will need to make to ensure they are able
to play their role in the implementation of the Northern
Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project. These changes arise
when there is a misalignment between the principles
that underpin the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal
Project policy interventions and the organisational
principles already in use. The types of changes that could
be required include investment in skill development,
new structures and procedures; management of a
mismatch of values and the phasing out of now redundant
competencies.
The research also indicated that the implementation of
the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project for
the GB CMA programs and targets are likely to have
implications concentrated on the management of:
• Appropriate watering regimes for environmental
features;
• The salinisation of soil and water;
• Nutrients entering water bodies.
In response, the GB CMA and the Sustainable Irrigation
Program of the Department of Sustainability and
Environment need to invest in understanding the impact
of the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project
on each of these areas of responsibility to ensure the
implementation of the Northern Victoria Irrigation
Renewal Project does not generate unacceptable impacts.
Understanding landholders in an era of regulatory
change
The Practice Change Research team undertook research
in 2008 to investigate landholder attitudes and the factors
that influence these attitudes to assist in predicting likely
responses to modernisation of the irrigation supply
system.